April 30, 2024 — WordPress 6.5 introduced the Block Bindings API, which lets you connect custom fields (or any data) to Core blocks. In this session, we discussed how this fits into the bigger picture of the block system and how you can combine it with existing features, laying the groundwork for much more advanced and dynamic site builds.

You’ll learn everything you need to know to start using the Block Bindings API.

Presentation Slides »

March 12, 2024 — WordPress 6.5 is launching the Interactivity API, a standardized feature set for building interactive front-end experiences, such as lightboxes, sliders, and more.

After a couple of years of exploring, designing, and implementing it, the Interactivity API will be officially opened to developers to build on top of. This is a significant milestone that will enable the creation of seamless, dynamic interactions that are readily accessible for all WordPress developers. And it’s all possible through an experience that is familiar and compatible with the block ecosystem.

During the session, we examined the API’s surface and demonstrate its full potential with some detailed examples. We also answered audience questions throughout.

February 27, 2024 — This one-hour session focused on theme development will explore how to craft web layouts using WordPress blocks. This talk is perfect for those who want to learn about block composition–the skill of assembling various blocks to create unique and effective web designs. We’ll look at a range of non-block web layouts, including some submitted by the community, and demonstrate how to convert them into WordPress blocks.

In the second half of our session, we’ll discuss practical aspects such as when to introduce custom CSS, how to add unique block styles, and when to package your design as a pattern. This will give you a better understanding of how to customize layouts while maintaining a clean and functional design. Whether you’re new to WordPress or an experienced theme developer, this talk will provide you with valuable insights into creating modern and responsive websites using the power of blocks.

December 19, 2023 — In the final installment of Developer Hours for 2023, we explored how the wp-scripts package has become an essential tool for modern WordPress development, such as when building blocks and block themes. If you are looking to streamline your development process, harness the power of build tools, and simplify tasks such as checking for compliance with WordPress coding standards, this session recording is for you.

November 2, 2023 — WordPress 6.4 is set to launch on November 7, 2023, and with it, a new default theme for the upcoming year. This discussion focused on the development and design of the new Twenty Twenty-Four theme. Jessica Lyschik led the presentation, which was followed by a Q&A session.

The presentation included a demo/walkthrough of Twenty Twenty-Four, showing what the theme is capable of. We also shared some background information and tips and tricks on the new features and how to make it your own.

October 12, 2023 — A casual conversation about the most important and exciting developer-related changes coming to WordPress 6.4. Learn more about Blook Hooks and improved Editor flows as well as the new Twenty Twenty-Four theme.

August 17, 2023 — During this Hallway Hangout, we had a casual conversation about how you can create custom design tools for blocks from a theming perspective.

Based on Justin’s latest article series for the WordPress Developer Blog, attendees learned when to move beyond the Block Styles API and create their own custom controls. We also discussed the current limitations of theme development and how block development can be used to extend block themes.

July 26, 2023 — Styling blocks: empowering users with CSS custom properties

It’s important not to be too prescriptive when developing blocks, and to allow users to have as much control as possible over the look and feel of the blocks on their websites.

In this edition of WordPress Developer Hours we talk about CSS custom properties (also known as CSS variables) and look at how you can leverage them in blocks to give users more control over the styling and presentation of their sites.

First up, Michael Burridge presents a solution to a common problem, i.e. how to allow users to have control over the styling of inner elements in blocks which have complex markup. While it’s relatively simple to allow users to style a block at the root level, this presentation looks at how you can assign the values stored in block attributes to CSS custom properties and use them to apply user-defined styling to child-elements in both static and dynamic blocks.

Then, for the second presentation of the session, Justin Tadlock shows you how to integrate CSS custom properties into your block stylesheets that play nicely with themes. The technique used integrates block plugins and theme.json while still giving preference to user choice.

Whether you’re just starting out with block development or have built dozens of blocks already, this WordPress Developer Hours session is for you, and you’re sure to learn a ton.

July 18, 2023 — Reusable blocks are a powerful way to save and reuse content across your site. In WordPress 6.3, reusable blocks will be renamed to “synced patterns.” This change reflects the unification of reusable blocks and traditional block patterns (unsynced patterns) within the Editor, which will streamline workflows, enhance the content creation experience, and set the stage for future enhancements in WordPress 6.4.

In this online workshop, we explore this exciting change as well as new functionality for creating custom patterns and managing them in the Site Editor.

May 23, 2023 — In this presentation Adam Zielinski, a member of the development team that created WordPress Playground, introduces this exciting new implementation and demonstrates it. He will explains the technologies that make the magic happen, and run through a variety of scenarios and use cases.